Thermosetting vinyl chloride-containing plastics



' paratively immobile after it has been given its ture between about 240 to 360 F., although the therefore, be of great value. The present invenmay be present in the stock to be cured, an acid .method of treating resins to secure this result. terioration of the comp sition at the elevated ATENT OFFICE.

MOSETTING VINYL CHLORIDE- CQNTAINING PLASTICS Thomas H. Rogers, .in, and Robert D. Vickers,

Akron, Ohio, assignoi-s to Wingfoot Corporation, Akron, Ohio, a corporation of Delaware NoDrawing. Application April 21, 1944,

Serial No. 532,216

11 Claims. (01. 260-86) 1 This invention relates to improved plastic comfrom about 10% to 20% of vinylidene chloride, positions having desirable thermosetting characand, correspondingly, from about 90% to 80% of teristics and to a method of making the same. vinyl chloride. Among others, many commercial More particularly, it relates to the effect of amines resins may be treated with advantage, including in the curing of polymerized masses. 5 copolymers of vinyl chloride-vinylidene chloride A thermoplastic resin which can be made 85:15, and vinyl chloride-vinylidene chloride thermosetting is obviously desirable in the man- 90:10. I ufacture of molded parts where the resin must The method is accomplished by heating the. be easily manipulatable before setting and comresin to a curing temperature, such as a temperaflnal shape. This is also true in the manufacture temperaturemay be higher or lower than this, in of extruded articles where the resin must be soft the presence of a heterocyclic amine until theenough in the uncured state to be extruded and tensile strength and elongation of the material then, when subject to pressure and heat, to behave attained the desired values. The amines come set. Also, a. resin having these character- 15 which may be used include, among othe hexaisitcs would find use in the building of structures methylene tetramine, piperidine, pi razine, from fabric coated with the resin, such as ponmorpholine, pyridine, quinoline, quinaldine, thiatoons, inflatable boats, and gas containers. In the zine, pyrrolidine, and pyrimidine. manufacture of such fabric articles, a seam which The amine is used in the proportion of about is sealed with the resin must be capable of with- 1% to 10% on the weight of the plastic or polystanding 2. test load at an elevated temperature mer, but best results are usually obtained when without flow. A method of treating resins which 4% to 6% is used.

would efiect the desired thermosetting would, In addition to the heterocyclic amine, there tion has as an object the provision of plastic com- 5 inhibitor or acceptor, such as magnesium oxide, positions affording the above-indicated advansodium carbonate or carcium oxide, which while tages. Another object is the provision of a not essential for cure, aids in preventing the de- According to the terms of this invention, certemperatures of cure and thus gives op tain polymerized compositions, which have dephysical prop There will 3-150 be present. sirable properties as plastics for the production in most instances, a plasticizer such as dibutyl of molded parts such as heels and soles, and for sebacate, methoxy ethyl e -be. dioctyl ph h t other purposes, are so treated as to increase their tributyl phosphate, and the like, although it willstrength and resistance to flow and also to reduce be understood that the plasticizer is not strictly their solubility in solvents, by curing the composinecessary in car yi g out the method of the intions in a prescribed manner. The compositions Vention. Ho v t e plasticizer y a ect the which have been found to be amenable to the rate f cure-and. to s e t nt, must be considtreatment are copolymers made by polymerizing ered in connection with the performance of the monomeric com-pounds, including vinylidene chlo- P SS- A180, t e plastlcizer is req ir in v ryride and vinyl chloride. The treatment com- 40 mg ounts to give a stock of selected characterprises curing or vulcanizing the copolymer by istics. the desired result being obtained as a result heating the same in the presence of a heterocyclic 0f the influence 0 t Cu e i t e Pr of amine, which results in a composition of improved the plas'flicizercarbon black and P me ts modulus as compared with the uncured stock and y als be present if desired. also of greatly lessened or wholly eliminated solusiearic and or n Oxide y s b p es t bility in various solvents, such as methyl ethy1 with the heterocyclic amine in the copolymer to ketone. cured. However, good results are obtained The plastics which are thus improved in physiwlthollt the use Of t es fl-dlllvants. cal characteristics by treatment according to the To Illustrate the invenhhh, t O IOWing eX-j hereindescribed method are those containing 9 5 e e the samebeing purely illustrairom 10% to approximately 25% of vinyljdene tive and not intended ma limiting sense.

chloride, the balance of the monomeric mixture, EXAME 1 r 90% to 75%, from which the polymer is made being vinyl chloride. Particularly good results are A suitable stock was prepared by mixing granobtained by the treatment of copolymers ranging ular or powdered vinyl chloride-vinylidene chlototal dibutyl sebacate to be added as a plasticizer.

The mix was then placed on a hot mill. After ten minutes mixing, the remainder or the dibutyl sebacate was added, followed by magnesium oxide and carbon black in the proportions indicated below. Before hexamethylene tetramine is added to the mass, the mill is cooled by running cold water through it. The hexamethylene ltetramine is thoroughly mixed in, and the stock is then sheeted out and cut for cure. placing between aluminum foil, to prevent sticking, and cured in a press at a temperature of 820 F. under a. pressure or 1,500 pounds (p. s. i.) Such a basic stock may even be additionally compounded so as to be readily removed directly irom a hot mold, using no aluminum.

The following results were obtained upon test, the tensile strength and elongation being determined on an autographic Scott machine, and solubility in methyl ethyl ketone being determined by rubbing the cured stock with a cloth saturated with the solvent: v

The stock was cured bi?- vinyl chloride and 15% of vinylidene chloride. This was compounded with parts of dibutyl sebacate as a plasticizer, 5 parts of MgO and one part 01 carbonblack. Two samples of the stock were tested, one being a controland the other containing two parts of hexamethylene tetramine, and each sample was then cured at a temperature of 320'? F.

Vim/l chloride-vinylidene chloride 85:15

, No curing agent Curing agent Cur in m Tens. Elong. Tens. Elong. 10 42 250 S 88 250 88 H 63 250 S 138 275 NS 68 250 B 130 210 NS 00 66 250 B 118 150 NB This comparison shows, as between samples cured with a curing agent and without a curing agent, that the presence 01' the curing agent re- Formulae Vinyl-vinylidane chloride polymer 100. 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100. 00 Dibntyl aebecate 35. 00 85. 00 36. 00 a5. 00 35. 00 MgO 2.00 too 2.00 0.00 Carbon Black 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 l. 00 Hexamethylene tau-amin 2. 00 2. 00 2. 00

Randi: I

Cure 320 F. for Tensile in kg/cm. at room emp.:

s s I s s as as S S 8 88 NS N S B S 8 N8 N8 N B B B 8 NB NS NS 1 S-Boluble; SS-slightly soluble; N8'not soluble.

It will be noted that the tensile strength was doubled by the use of hexamethylene tetramine over that obtained when no amine was present. The cooperating effect of magnesium oxide as an acid inhibitor is also revealed, but the specific effect of the hexamethylene tetramine is clearly apparent, more especially in the drawing, which displays several curves based on the data oi the foregoing example. The remarkable influence of the hexamethylene tetramlne on solubility is also clearly shown, the samples containing the amine, but not those without it, becoming insoluble when the cure is suiliciently advanced. It will be obvious that a composition of increased tensile strength and resistance to flow and of comparative insolubility with respect to solvents, or which methyl ethyl ketone (MEK) is merely exemplary, isoi! importance in structures and articles which are subject to stresses and exposed to solvents in use.

7 Exam: 2

To show the utility of the invention with respect to improvement of physical characteristics and solubility, a composition was made up of 100 parts or a commercial resin containing 85% of cal properties takes place, and the resin becomes sults in a product having greater tensile strength after the initial stage 01 the cure, and which, when heated for a sufllcient time, loses its solubility in methyl ethyl ketone (MEK) a standard solvent for testing this type of resin. Heating in the absence of the curing agent does not lessen solubility in the solvent.

The products treated by the herein described resin to cold flow is sharply reduced, while no appreciable increase in hardness is apparent. The shear strength is also greatly improved.

The products may be described as resins comprising a copolymer oi vinylidene chloride and vinyl chloride, plus the residue of an amine. Upon heating such a mixture, either with or without a plasticizer, a profound change in physithermosetting. Accompanying this is a change in the chemical structure of the resin, as evidenced by nitrogen extraction, and, more particularly, chlorine extraction. Thus, a sample of uncured resin prepared from vinyl chloride and vinylidene chloride 85:15 was extracted with acetone, and it was found that more nitrogen could be extracted from the uncured sample than could be extracted from the cured sample. For example, the nitrogen remaining in an extracted uncured sample varied from 0.11% to 0.05%, whereas the nitrogen remaining in an extracted cured sample varied from 0.11% to 0.23%.

Even more significant, perhaps, is the result of chlorine extraction: Appropriate acetone extraction of an uncured sample of a vinyl chloridevinylidene chloride 85:15 resin yielded 0.33% to 0.34% of chlorine in the extraction based on the weight of the resin sample, whereas similar extraction of a cured sample of the same original composition yielded from 0.66% to 0.75% of chlorine on the weight of the sample. This indicates a labilization or loss of chlorine from the copolymer. That is to say, the chlorine is disengaged and is presumably taken up by the magnesium oxide, or other inorganic substance which may be present, to form magnesium chloride or other easily extractable material. As a consequence of the removal or transference of some of the chlorine atoms in the vinyl chloride or vinylidene chloride, bonds are made available for further polymerization of the organic constituents of the resin. Hence, the resin sets under the influence of heat and becomes hard and strong.

Therefore, while the chemical mechanism of the curing operation is not definitely established, it has been observed that vulcanizates obtained by the use of hexamethylene tetramine as curing agent, a substance quite readily extractable from the uncured compositions, generally contain nitrogen in a form which ismuch less readily extractable than is the nitrogen present in the uncured composition. Furthermore, since the extractions of the cured sampies contain ionizable chlorine, removal of chlorine from the polymer chain is indicated.

As set forth above, various heterocyclic amines may be used and will give improved results, excellent results having been obtained by the use of hexamethylene tetramine, either alone, or with zinc oxide or with stearic acid. The heterocyclic amines may be those having a single ring,

such as piperidine, or like hexamethylene tetramine having two ormore rings. Also, the heterocyclic ring may carry other substituents, as in the case of 1 methyl piperidine, etc.

and amino nitrogen atoms and heating said mixture at a temperature between 240 F. and 360 F. for a period of between 10 and 60 minutes.

2. A thermoset copolymer prepared by mixing a copolymer of 10 to 25% of vinylidene chloride and 75 to 90% of vinyl chloride with from 1 to 10% by weight of the copolymer of a heterocyclic amine containing only carbon, hydrogen. and amino nitrogen atoms, and heating said mixture at a temperature between 240 F. and 360 F. for a period of between 10 and 60 minutes.

3. The method of preparing a thermoset copolymer which comprises mixing a copolymer of 85 percent of vinyl chloride and 15 percent of vinylidene chloride with from 1 to 10 percent by weight of the copolymer of a heterocyclic amine containing only carbon, nitrogen and amino nitrogen atoms, and heating said mixture at a temperature of between 240 F. and 360 F. for a period of between 10 and 60 minutes. I

4. A thermoset copolymer prepared by mixing a copolymer 0! 85% of vinyl chloride and 15% of vinylidene chloride with from 1 to 10% by weight of the copolymer of a heterocyclic amine containing onLv carbon, hydrogen and amino nitrogen atoms and heating said mixture at a temperature of between 240 F. and 360 F. for a period between 10 and 60 minutes.

5. The method of preparing a thermoset copolymer which comprises mixing a, copolymer of 10 to 25 percent of vinylidene chloride and 75 to 90 percent of vinyl chloride with from 4 to 6 percent by weight of the copolymer of a heterocyclic amine containing only carbon, hydrogen and amino nitrogen atoms and heating said.mix-' ture at a temperature between 240 F. and 360 F.

-for a period of between 10 and 60 minutes.

6. The method of preparing a thermostat copolymer which comprises mixing a copolymer of 10 to 25 percent 0! vinylidene chloride and 75 to 90 percent of vinyl chloride with from 1 to 10 percent by weight of the copolymer of hexamethylene tetramine and heating said mixture at a temperature between 240 F. and 360 F. for a This application is a continuation in'part of v 90 percent of vinyl chloride with from 1 to 10 percent by weight of the copolymer of a heterocyclic amine containing only carbon, hydrogen period of between 20 and 60 minutes. 7. The method of preparing a thermoset copolymer which comprises mixing a copolymer of 85 percent of vinyl chloride and 15 percent of vinylidene chloride with from 1 to 10 percent by weight of the copolymer of hexamethylene tetramine, and heating said mixture at a temperature of between 240 F. and 360 F. for a period of between 10 and 60 minutes.

8. The method of preparing a thermoset copolymer which comprises mixing a copolymer of 10 to 25 percent of vinylidene chloride and to 90 percent of vinyl chloride with from 1 to 10 percent by weight of the copolymer of hexamethylene tetramine and heating said mixture at a temperature between 240 F. and 360 F. for a period of between 15 and 30 minutes.

9. The method of preparing a thermoset copolymer which comprises mixing a copolymer of percent of vinyl chloride and 15 percent of vinylidene chloride with from 1 to 10 percent by weight of the copolymer of hexamethylene tetraamine, and heating said mixture at a temperature between 240 F. and 360 F. for a period of between 15 and 30 minutes.

10. The method of preparing a thermoset copolymer which comprises mixing a copolymer of 10 to 25 percent of vinylidene chloride and 75 to 'percent of vinyl chloride with from 1 to 10 percent by weight of the copolymer of hexamethylene tetramine and heating said mixture at a temperature 240 F- and 360 F. the copolymer is cured. 1 v

11, The meth d of preparing a th t, The following references are of record in the polymer which comprises mixing a copolymer 01 me Of this P 85 percent 01 vinyl chloride and 15 percent 01 5 U I STATES PATENTS vinylldene chlor1de with from 1 to 10 percent by weight 01 the copolymer of hexamethylene tetra- Number Name Date amine, and heating said mixture at. a tempera- 2913-941 Young sept- 1935 ture between 240 F. and 300 F. until the co- 2,148,831 Raymlds 1939 polymer is mm m 2,190,776 Elllngboe et a1. Feb. 20, 1940 V 2,205,654 Ide et a1 June 25, 1940 THOMAS H ROGERS, JR. 2,245,742 Alexander July 17, 1941 ROBERT VICKERS. 04,6 7 Hardy Dec. 8, 1942 

